Continued from:
If the Defensive Specialist never spoons another gluggy ladle of pea and ham soup again it will be too soon! Ok, it’s time to complete pool A of the Defensive Specialist’s little project to determine the best Australian to play in the big leagues.
Despite being bombarded by hundreds of emails from devoted Joe Quinn fans, the Defensive Specialist is remaining resolute in his stance that Mighty Joe cannot be considered in this evaluation simply because no analytic tools exist that can accurately value an individual who played in an era where they wore woolen uni’s and left their glove out in the field as obstacles while they hit. Can you imagine coming up with an accurate Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) (http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/uzr-on-fangraphs/) on a field littered with leather?
Anyway, making up Pool A so far we have Glenn Williams, Michael Nakamura and Cam Cairncross. The Defensive Specialist needs to keep his feet moving, so lets keep the breakdowns coming:
Ryan Rowland – Smith
‘The Hyphen” wins the Deep in the Hole award for ‘Best Australian Major League player with a hyphen in their name’. Rowland–Smith made his Major League debut as a 24 year old in 2007 with the Seattle Mariners. Appearing in 26 games (all in relief) Rowland–Smith (R-S) worked 38 innings, yielding 17 earned runs, striking out 42 and compiling an ERA of 3.96.
In 2008 R-S started the season as a reliever before being sent back to AAA so that he could convert to a starter (build up arm strength in order to provide 5+ innings per outing). R-S made his first major league start after the All Star break against the Toronto Blue Jays. Rowland–Smith’s numbers from August to the end of the season were particularly impressive as indicated by his 2.56 ERA over this period. His totals for the year included 118 innings of work, 77 punch-outs and an ERA of 3.42.
2009 saw Rowland–Smith make one start before injury struck. He went back to AAA to rehab with mixed results. Rowland–Smith was recalled near August and became a starter for the Mariners. He made 15 starts for the M’s, compiling a win-loss record of 5-4 and an ERA of 3.74 over 96 innings.
Rowland–Smiths development was widely praised in baseball circles and he is now figured prominently in Mariner planning for season 2010.
Mark Hutton
South Australian Mark Hutton put together a 5-year big league career spanning 4 teams. Making his first appearance in the Major Leagues with the New York Yankees in 1993 at age 23, Hutton appeared in 7 games while making 4 starts. He won 1 and lost 1 while working 22 innings. Hutton was back in the big leagues with the Yankees again in 1994, appearing in 2 games and throwing 3 innings.
In 1996 Hutton had a win – loss record of 0-2 for the Yankees, appearing in 12 games. In the same season he was traded to the Florida Marlins for Dave Weathers where he made 9 starts and won 5 games, losing 1. He worked 56 innings mostly as a starter and turned in a respectable ERA of 3.67.
Hutton commenced the 1997 season with the Marlins in a relief role. He appeared in 32 games, working 47 innings. His win – loss record was 3-1. A mid-season trade to Colorado in exchange for Craig Counsell saw Hutton appear in 8 games as a Rockie. He made only one start in his tenure and was 0-1 in his time there.
Season 1998 was Hutton’s last in the Major Leagues. After being traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Curtis Goodwin, he appeared in 10 games. Hutton worked 17 innings and made 2 appearances as a starter. His ERA was an unimpressive 7.41.
Hutton’s professional career in the US continued into 2000. He finished his big league life with a win loss record of 9-7 with an ERA of 4.75.
Trent Durrington
Durrington was a 14-year professional who made his Major League debut in 1999 with the Anaheim Angels (at the time known as the California Angels) on August 6th. Appearing in 43 games, the second baseman hit .180 over 122 at bats. Durrington sniffed the big leagues again briefly in 2000 with 3 at bats before being released.
After joining the Dodger organisation briefly in 2001, Durrington was signed, released and signed again with the Angels where he saw Big League action again in 2003, appearing in 12 games while seeing time at second, third and designated hitter. His brief tenure resulted in a batting average of .143.
Signed as a free agent by the Milwaukee Brewers, Durrington played in 53 games in 2004. He managed his first of 2 career homeruns in this season and hit .232 while scoring 13 runs. Durrington saw time at second, third and DH while also managing a stint on the mound where he retired the only batter he faced. 2005 was Durrington’s final season in the Big Leagues, appearing in 28 games and hitting .214 in 18 AB’s for the Brew Crew.
Durrington’s pro career continued for 2 more seasons with time spent in both the Boston and Cleveland organisations.
So there you have it folks, the Defensive Specialist has completed Pool A. If you look closely up to the left hand corner of this page, you will see a poll allowing you to choose who you feel is the best Aussie Big Leaguer from this group. The Poll will remain open until Tuesday next week, when Pool B will be revealed.
If you have any questions, comments or opinions, hit the box at the bottom or drop an email to thedefensivespecialist@gmail.com
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